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Windows 11

Majestic

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I keep getting, and ignoring, Windows 11 upgrade pop-up ads from Microsoft. My laptop's specs can easily handle Win 11, but I don't know anyone who uses it.

Is it time for me to upgrade, or should I stick with Win10 since I'm used to it and it works well.
 
That's a good question. Windows 11 is the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, and it has some new features and improvements over Windows 10. However, it also has some drawbacks and requirements that you should consider before upgrading. Here are some pros and cons of Windows 11 that I found from web searches:
Pros:
  • Beautiful, more consistent design: Windows 11 has a modernized look with rounded corners, translucent effects, and a centered taskbar. It also has a streamlined Start menu and a new widgets panel that show you personalized information at a glance1.
  • Great window layout options: Windows 11 lets you easily snap windows into different layouts and groups using the Snap Assist feature. You can also use virtual desktops to organize your workspaces1.
  • Strong video gaming features: Windows 11 has improved gaming performance and support with features like Auto HDR, DirectStorage, and Xbox Game Pass integration. You can also access a variety of games from the Microsoft Store, including Android apps12.
  • Performance-improving features: Windows 11 has better memory management and security features that make it faster and safer than Windows 10. It also has new accessibility options and voice control support2.
Cons:
  • Requires a recent CPU: Windows 11 has higher hardware requirements than Windows 10, especially for the processor. You need at least an 8th-generation Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 2000 series CPU to run Windows 11. Some older PCs may not be compatible with the new OS2.
  • Some interface changes take getting used to: Windows 11 has some changes to the user interface that may not suit everyone's preferences or habits. For example, the Start menu and taskbar are centered by default, the File Explorer has new tabs, and some settings are moved or removed12.
  • Useful tools are gone: Windows 11 has removed or replaced some features that were available in Windows 10, such as Timeline, some tablet gestures, Action Center, Cortana, and Live Tiles. Some users may miss these tools or find them useful12.
Ultimately, whether you should upgrade to Windows 11 or stick with Windows 10 depends on your personal needs and preferences. You can compare the features and requirements of both OSes on Microsoft's website2. You can also check if your PC is eligible for the free upgrade using the PC Health Check app2. I hope this helps you make an informed decision.
 
I recently bought a new home PC which has Windows 11. It's not that much of a change in terms of the interface. Supposedly it performs better and is more secure. I still have Windows 10 on m work laptop which is what I usually use. It's easy to go back and forth between the two. In general I like Windows 11 better. On the other hand when it comes to Windows, sometimes it's better to not touch it if it's working well.
 
I'm using Windows 10 (and W8) on all my devices, none of which qualifies for an upgrade. I wonder how long W10 will be officially supported.
 
Forced to get Windows 11 when my 7 year old PC gave up the ghost. Don't notice much difference from 10.
 
Yeah - I think I'll stick with Win10 for another year. Thanks to all for the comments and advice.
My current laptop works well, even though its ~3 years old and gets a lot of use and abuse. I'm surprised it handled the film editing software (daVinci Resolve) so well - though it did gag a few times). Hopefully it has another year in it. I think I'll switch to Win11 when its time to get a new laptop.
 
End of support for Windows 10 will happen in October 2025. Start preparing 6 months early. (You may need to get some new drivers and get Windows 11-ready versions of software you already use.)

By the way, I hope you are manually checking for updates at least once a month.
 
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Yes - manually updating from time to time. I don't know if its once a month religiously, but probably close to that.
 
OK my JREF brothers and sisters, checking in to see who has updated to Win 11.

Anybody take the plunge?

I'm still happily using Win 10, but the update requests are coming even more often now, it seems.
 
Main question is whether or not your PC hardware can accommodate it. And if you prefer not to log into a microsoft account. But if it's free and these two things are not issues, I'd upgrade.

 
I have to buy a new PC every 2 or 3 years and my now 2 year old PC came with 11. I had The Geek Squad (from Best Buy) transfer all my old PC (Windows 10) stuff into this new PC and that made it seem like there was little difference in using 11. A lot of new stuff came with 11 that you might find useful , but I just ignored it all and don't use it. My PC now is getting ready to die I think. I have to sign in 3 times to get it up and running. Once a week it goes black and even control alt delete won't get it going. I have to unplug it , wait a bit and plug it back in. Windows 11 seems to update a lot , maybe twice a month or more. Wonder if Windows 12 will be on my next PC?
 
Majestic, see if you have a program nefariously installed that is doing this. Do a search for Add or Remove Programs and take a good look at all of the programs that are installed on your pc. See if there is a rogue program installed that is giving you all of those pop-ups
 
OK my JREF brothers and sisters, checking in to see who has updated to Win 11.

Anybody take the plunge?

I can't change even if I wanted to. I use so much freemium quality-of-life software that is only available on Win10 that I would annoy myself to death on a daily basis if I changed. It's the first thing I do when I install a new pc, go through a checklist on my wiki page with all the nice little features I want installed along with all the annoyances I want removed.
I did actually try to install Win11 on a pc a few months back but despite having exclusively Win11 compatible hw it kept crashing, hard. BSODs galore, all different each time, none making any sense. MS support couldn't help either and suggested I return it to the retailer. But -I- am the retailer, I put it together myself. No help there whatsoever.
I also installed it on an older laptop for my sister-in-law but even after driver updates it locked the screen in 800x600. Both machines run perfectly on Win10.

Beside that, I'm quite frankly disgusted with how they enforce hw requirements, making old machines obsolete when they're running just fine. In these 'reuse, reduce, recycle' times where we're much more aware of how our old 'throw away and buy new' mentality is wasting precious resources, I find it grossly negligent to force people to buy new pcs as the alternative is to stay on old, unsupported operating systems.
 
I've migrated to Macs due to my wife's influence, but this discussion reminds me of the end of Windows XP and the rise of Windows 7. I held on to XP as long as possible, and I even bought a copy from the store to 'downgrade' a recently bought laptop. To the extent that it's possible, I still have a bit of a soft spot for XP.

Is it true that Windows has gone down the path of Google and now basically spies on everything you do on its platform? I think I heard of that as a big concern starting with Windows 10.
 
Made the switch about a year ago. Apart from a few minor changes in layout, I can't tell any difference from Win 10.
 
Is it true that Windows has gone down the path of Google and now basically spies on everything you do on its platform? I think I heard of that as a big concern starting with Windows 10.
They are collecting a lot more data now that's true. But only in order to "personalize" your experience.
 
I swear , if I fart , 5 minutes later I start getting ads for "Gas-Ex" and videos on what foods to avoid. If I Google something , I get ads about it for a week. It seems my Windows 11 gets an update about every two weeks ; not like the old days.
 
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I swear , if I fart , 5 minutes later I start getting ads for "Gas-Ex" and videos on what foods to avoid. If I Google something , I get ads about it for a week. It seems my Windows 11 gets an update about every two weeks ; not like the old days.
Have you installed an ad-blocker?
 
I run 2 Norton programs that tell me all downloads might be a problem , and then I chicken out , LOL. I look at my PC now as a patient in a coma with blood pressure dropping fast and lubing up the shock paddles. I'm running a 23 by 13 inch screen now and think I'm ready for a 36 by 24 , LOL. I figure if I download an ad blocker , it would be designed by Putin with my luck.
 
If you ever do decide to try one out, I recommend uBlock Origin for both Firefox and Chrome. It detects even the new Youtube enforced ads and doesn't ask me to donate every other second like other adblockers do. In fact, the developer himself writes that
The uBlock Origin project still specifically refuses donations at this time, and instead advises all of its clients, users and supporters to donate to block list maintainers.
I used to run Adblock+ but it started allowing some ads to slip through. And while I don't mind a few embedded text ads here and there, I suddenly had flashing, auto-playing, AUDIBLE ads on a lot of the webpages I visited. Not cool, Adblock+, not cool.
 


I hope you, gentle folk, all whitelist JREF in uBlock...
 
Majestic,

I've done some research on your problem, and it seems the best way to solve your problem is to edit your Windows registry. It's easy to do, but sounds like you are not familiar with how to do this, in which case I suggest you do NOT try to do this on your own. (Making an error while editing your registry can leave your copy of Windows unusable.) Find someone who knows how to edit your registry, and that should do the trick.
 
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